Sunflowers and Roses: A Solangelo AU

Chapter 2

"Why do I have to be here again?" Nico said for the millionth time. He knew he sounded like a whiny child, but he didn't really care.

"Because you said you would be here, so you're going to be." Hazel replied for the millionth time. "Percy was so excited to see you, Nico."

Nico drew his bottom lip between his teeth, biting down hard. It was a new habit he'd developed recently. 

"You shouldn't have told him I was here." Nico whispered. "I don't want to see him."

Hazel sighed, turning around in the passenger seat, staring at him with those big gold eyes. "Neeks, how long has it been?"

"Not long enough." He snapped, immediately feeling bad when she flinched. 

Frank sat quietly in the driver's seat, tapping his fingers nervously on the steering wheel. Nico sighed. His temper was getting the best of him.

He sat back, silently resigned. "Fine. It's fine. I'll be fine."

"Neeks-"

"It's okay, Hazel." He said, offering her a small smile. "I'm being a dramatic child."

She looked like she wanted to argue with him, probably yell at him for invalidating his own feelings, but she just sighed and turned around. She asked Frank to take them to Percy's, and so Frank backed out of the driveway, and started driving back toward main street.

Nico stared at the window, watching trees and run down buildings fly by. He picked at the holes of his black jeans, chewing on his lip so much he feared it might split open and bleed all over the front of his white t-shirt. 

It had been nine years since he last spoke to Percy Jackson. He was sixteen, Percy was twenty. He had come back to New York for winter break from college. Nico had felt giddy, almost. He knew he never stood a chance with Percy... the guy was straight and a whole adult, but Nico couldn't help but become excited. After all, he'd been crushing on Percy since he was ten years old.

But then, Percy had announced he was going to marry Annabeth right after they graduated. They were both in accelerated programs. They were going to graduate that June, get married in August. 

Nico had felt crushed. Destroyed. And that's when it had dawned on him that Percy Jackson wasn't a boyhood crush. At some point, Nico had started to love him, and he didn't realize how painful that could be.

He ignored Percy Jackson's existence after that. It was all just too painful to think about.

Now, nine years later, he was going to have to face this part of himself again, this time over hamburgers and hot dogs instead of blue cookies and hot chocolate.

Gods, he knew he should have moved to Hawaii instead.

Frank pulled into a driveway, and Nico arched his eyebrows.

Hazel's home was small, humble, and cozy, like a cottage you would imagine out of a story book. Percy's home was the opposite. It looked like it belonged in an HOA neighborhood, complete with the gated community and NO SOLICITING signs. 

It was a huge, two story stone and wood house, with big windows, impressive lights, and an in-ground swimming pool.

"I thought you said they were teachers." He said, looking at the back of his sister's curly head.

"Well... Annabeth may have written one or two internationally best selling books, and she might have also found a way to design eco-friendly buildings..." Hazel muttered. "And Percy owns the aquatics center at the YMCA and speaks at conferences about marine biology, so..."